Method of producing structural elements from web material



NW. 25, 1952 J. A. GRANTHAM 2 1 METHOD OF PRODUCING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FROM WEB MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1948 QM M 7 Z z 4- o n/w x O a m 2 4 673 Z 1 F 6 m 4 f o T w o f\ -A 4. 3 4 M. m 5 @fifi 3 M d NW, 25, 1952 J A M 2,619,444

METHOD OF PRODUCING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FROM WEB MATERIAL Filed Feb. 27, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N QNTok walim v' u/azabu,

NQV. 25 W52 J. A. GRANTHAM METHOD OF PRODUCING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FROM WEB MATERIAL Filed Feb. 2'7, 19 48 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 25,1952 1 GRANTHAM 2,619,444

METHOD OF PRODUCING S'IPHJC'I'URAL ELEMENTS FROM WEB MATERIAL Filed Feb. 27,1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 25, 1952 METHOD OF' PRODUCING. STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FROM WEB MATERIAL J ohnAlpe, Grantham, London, England, assignor to Dufay Limited, London, England, a British company Application February 27, 1948', Serial No. 11,573 In Great Britain February 6, 1947 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires February 6, 1967 The present invention comprises improvements in or relating to the production of structural elements from web material and afiord botha method and apparatus more suitable for producing such elements in quantity than methods and apparatus hitherto proposed.

The structural elements, the production of which is contemplated by the invention, are similarin form to those the production of which is described in the specification of United States Patent No. 2,428,979. Such elements comprise strips or sheets of paper or like material the adjacent. surfaces of which have been caused to adhere in lines or rows in staggered relationship for successive pairs of adjacent surfaces so that a lattice or honeycomb structure is produced when the. strips or sheets are spaced from one another as when a pile or stack of such strips or sheets is opened out by moving the outermost strips or sheets apart.

The present invention provides a method of producing'structural elements from sheet material wherein a continuous web of such material is folded on itself in succession from opposite ends of successive layers of a pile or stack of folded web material so produced and wherein continuous or interrupted lines of adhesive are applied to the web to be in alternate staggered relationship between. successive layers of the folded material. The adhering layers so formed are conveniently cut as required. and opened out to form the lattice or'honeycomb structure which may be converted into a substantially rigid form and/or finally enclosed as a spacing element between facing material- Conveniently the lines of adhesive are applied to the Web prior to the folding of the latter andvconveniently also are applied to the two surfaces of the web respectively-in staggered relationship.

Two specific embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of apparatus constituting one specific embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 isa side view of an alternative. arrangement of the feeding and gluing rollers for the web in such. apparatus,

Figure 3 is a fragmental view partly in section of feed rollers for the. web,

Figure 4-. is a similar fragmental view of the gluing rollers,

Figure 5 is a similar view of further feed rollers,

Figures 6 and '7 are similar views of alternative forms of gluing rollers,

6 Claims (01. 154-417) I I5. which are formed. with. recesses 21' either.

Figure 8 Ba front elevation of a folding arm,

Figure 9 is a section,v looking in. the direction of the arrows on the line 9-9 of Figure 8,

Figure 10 is an enlarged side elevation of the free end of a folding arm,

Figure 11 is a side view of apparatus constituting the second specific embodiment of the invention with an optional portion thereof shown in chain. lines,

Figure 12 is acentral vertical section through reciprocating parts of the apparatus of Figure 11 showing their application to the web material, and

Figure 13 is a side view on an enlarged scale of the folding. carriage and platen shown. in Figure 11.

Like reference numerals are employed to denote. like parts in the various figures ofthe drawings.

As shown in- Figure 1 illustrating the first embodiment, the Web material I0 in convenient width in roll'form is mounted on a suitable car-- rying bracket l l and feeds to an overhead flanged guide roller 12 from which the web feeds vertically downwards through feed or pinch rollers I3, gluing rollers It, and additional feed rollers I5. These rollers are connected together, as shown, in sets on opposite sides of the web material I0 and are rotated by means of a chain drive to wheels l6 adjacent pairs of which on oppositesides of the web are arranged to turn in wardly by intermediate gearing not-shown. The chain wheels I6 are in turn driven from a lay shaft [8 mounted on the. main driving axle l9- operated by the motor 20. The gluing rollers. 14.

are fed with, glue from pick up rollers 2| par tially immersed in glue in the troughs 22.

The rollersv referred to above are constructed as shown in Figures 3 to 5,.the pinch rollers 13' having an outer surface. of suitable web driving material. rollers l4 either integrally, or in the manner shown in Figure 4 by building up alternate discs 23 and spacing pieces 24 on the supporting shaft 25. The peripheries of the discs 23 may be formed with a slightly concave cross-section or otherwise to pick up and distribute the glue on the web material in the most convenient manner. Guiding flanges 26 are supplied to both ends of one gluing roller, or to alternate ends of each pair of rolls as indicated in the drawings. In the same manner guiding discs 26 are also fitted to the feed rollers l3 and preferably also, though not shown in the drawings, to feed rollers I! with final drive from a chain wheel.

Ribs 23 are formed onthe gluing.

formed integrally with the rollers or, as shown in the drawings, by forming the rollers i5 from a number of roller portions 23 on the supporting shafts 28 with spacing discs 30 of less diameter than the rollers. The discs 30 and recesses 27 are arranged to coincide with the glue lines applied by the rollers 14. The web material 10 is driven at a continuous linear speed and will form itself into a loop as shown in chain lines in the position 3! of Figure 1. The formation of successive layers of the material takes place on a flat bed or platen 32 which is conveniently WOOd faced or otherwise surfaced. The platen 32 is capable of vertical movement in the guides 33. Arms 34 pivoted adjacent the ends of platen 32 at the top of guides 33 are driven through an angle of approximately 120 by means of the linkage 35, 36, connected to projections 31 formed integrally with the pivoted arms 34 which act as pressure platens, the link 36 being connected to a flywheel or crank disc 38 on the main driving shaft l9 and the two projections 31 being connected together by the connecting link 35. Power for the whole machine from the motor 29 is derived from a belt or other suitable transmission.

For small production units, however, the arms or pressure platens 34 may alternatively be oscillated by hand through any suitable lever mechanism connected to the link 36.

For power operation, and particularly in the formation of a multiple series of layered blocks of web material, the platen 32 is caused to descend automatically at a rate such that the working level of the layered block in formation is always at the same horizontal level as the pressure platens 34 when in a final position as applied to the web, this being accomplished by means described hereinafter. With the web material [0 in the free loop 3|, the left hand platen arm 34 pivots in an are bringing with it the material [0 to fold the latter down on the main body of the layered block if partially formed. The glued tracks previously applied cause the web (e. g. of paper) to adhere in a folded position secured at intervals to the next lower folded layer by the lines of glue. The platen arms 34 are furnished with ribs 39 which as seen in Figures 8 and 9 are spaced to allow the glued tracks formed on the side of the web material contacted by the platen arms to lie between the ribs without contact with the platen arms.

It should be noted with reference to Figure 4 that the glued tracks are arranged to lie in stag-- gered relation on opposite sides of the web material and grooves in the two feed rolls l5 and ribs in the two pressure platen arms are accordingly also in similar staggered relationship.

After a loop has been taken up by the left hand platen arm 34 a further loop is formed during the short rest period during which the platen arm is in contact with the block, and this further loop is again taken up, this time by the right hand pressure platen arm 34 which moves towards the block while the left hand pressure platen is being retracted.

During the build up of sheets formed in this manner, the platen 32 descends in synchronism, as previously stated, by means of the nut 40 running in a bearing 4| and operating on the platen screw 42. The nut 40 is rotated by the bevel gears 43 and 44 which are in turn driven intermittently by means of the ratchet-45 and gears 45, the ratchet 45 in turn being operated by the eccentric 41 mounted on the main shaft I9.

On completion of a layered block, or series of blocks, the dog-clutches 48 are operated by means of the link 49, by hand or otherwise as desired, to disconnect the main power drive of the nut 40 and bringing into action the motor 50 operating through a suitable reduction gear 5! and gear 44 to reverse the direction of the nut 40 and raise the Whole platen 32. Means are provided but not shown in the drawings for temporarily releasing one of the pressure platen arms 34 in order to allow the completed layered block or series of blocks to be brought up to the top of the guides 33 for removal, the procedure being then to place the completed blocks under pressure during setting of the glue after which the folded edges are removed by means of a guillotine. Subsequent treatment of the layered block may then be effected as described in the specification of U. S. patent application No. 718,720, now abandoned.

Horns 52 seen in Figures 8 and 10 are fitted to the platen arms 34 in order to engage and guide the web material HJ during engagement herewith, rollers 53 being fitted at the tips of the platen arms to engage the web to prevent wear and to reduce friction. Holes 54 are also drilled through the material of the pressure platen arms 34 at suitable spaced positions in order to obviate any suction eifect when the platen is released from engagement with the layered block on commencement of its upward stroke.

The arrangement of feed and gluing rollers may alternatively be as shown in Figures 2, 6 and 7 in which it will be seen that the gluing process is carried out in two stages, the web material l0 being passed from the pinch rollers l3 to the first stage in which the gluing roller l4 of the form previously described, is supported or opposed (as shown in Figure 6) by a plain roller. 55 (similar to the pinch or drive rollers 13) to apply glue to the right hand side of the web. This treatment is followed by passage through a further pair of rollers of which one is a gluing roller I4 as previously described, for applying glue to the left hand side of the web It), and the other a supporting or opposing pressure roller 56 of the form shown in Figure '7 and having recesses formed to allow for the passage of the portion of the web already glued. The roller 56 is in fact similar to the rollers I5, and the gluing rollers applied to opposite sides of the web are again arranged to apply the glue in lines or rows (e. g. rows of dots) in staggered relationship.

Any desired adhesive may be employed in place of the glue to which reference is made and the paper or like web material may, if desired, be impregnated with a synthetic resinous condensable or polymerisable material at any convenient stage.

The second specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings to which reference has been made is similar in many respects to the apparatus described above but employs a reciprocating roller carriage in place of the pressure platens 34.

Thus in the second embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings the web material [0 arranged in roll form passes over a guide.

roller l2, feed rollers l3, gluing rollers l4 and final feed rollers I5 to form a loop 3|, a chain drive of the rollers being effected from the lay shaft I! and from the main driving shaft I3 and motor 2|]. Adjoining a main pressure bed or suspending platen 32 on which the web material is received and laterally on each side of the bed are arranged guide rails 69 supporting a carriage 6| running on flanged wheels 62 and a roller 63. The flanged wheel and roller may with advantage be arranged in the manner shown, with the two flanged wheels 62 running on the one guide rail and one un-flanged roller running on the second guide rail, to give three point suspension and accurate linear guiding of the carriage 6|, the guiding being effected from one guide rail only.

The carriage Si is intended to reciprocate on its support and carries two pressure rollers 64 formed with ribs with the ribs on the two opposing rollers 66 spaced in staggered relationship so that the glue lines on opposite sides of the web material l0 may pass between the ribs without contacting the rollers 64 as they reciprocate over folded layers of web material fed between the rollers 64 and applied to the bed or platen 32, the glue lines applied by the rollers l4 being in staggered relationship on opposite sides of the web. The rollers 64 are carried by connecting links 65 at each end of the carriage 6| to allow a vertical movement of the rollers to take place about the hinge pins 66 of the links 65. Additional pressure on the rollers 64 may be arranged by means of weights 6'! but tension or compression springs may alternatively be arranged for this purpose as may be convenient. The carriage 6| is connected to the main crank pin on the fly wheel or crank disc 38 on the shaft I9 by means of a connecting rod 68 whereby reciprocation of the carriage 6| in a horizontal plane is effected. The rod 68 is pivotally connected at 69 to a projection on the carriage 6|. The traverse of the latter is arranged slightly to overlap the ends of the bed 32 and retaining claws may be provided to ensure folding of the web at the desired positions at the said ends.

Downward feed of the built up layered material applied to the bed 32 by such reciprocation is arranged for as in the apparatus previously described through a screw 32 and rotatable collar 40 operated through bevel gears 43 and 46 and ratchet 45 driven by eccentric 41, while motor 50 and clutches 48 again enable the bed to be raised with a number of layers of web material thereon.

The whole apparatus which has been described may, if desired, be arranged in duplicate with a common crank shaft to secure operation also of the second and right-hand apparatus indicated in chain lines at 10 and H. Such a right-hand carriage is arranged to be driven by means of an additional crank throw not shown in detail in the drawings, with the two crank pins for the two duplicate machines spaced 180 apart. In this way the masses of the two reciprocating carriages are mutually balanced with the exception of a negligible primary couple due to the separation of the crank throws.

Means are also provided, though not shown in the drawings, for running the carriage 6| clear of the bed 32 to allow a finished stack of layered material to be raised up on completion above the level of the pressure pads in order to facilitate removal of the finished stack which may be subsequently treated in a like manner to that referred to above.

I claim:

1. Method of producing structural elements from sheet material comprising the steps of applying parallel lines of adhesive to the respective sides of a web of material, the lines of adhesive on one side of the web being staggered relatively to the lines of adhesive on the other side of the web, feeding the web continuously in a downward direction, successive portions of the web being momentarily suspended in generally vertical position, deflecting successive portions of the web alternately to one side or the other of said generally vertical position, and folding said successive portions downwardly about their respective lower edges to form successive horizontal layers of a pile, the feeding and folding steps being carried out at such relative speeds that the suspended portion of the web is always of sufficient length to permit its being folded without appreciable drag thereon.

2. The method of claim 1, the suspended successive portions of the web hanging as loops disposed alternately to one side and the other of the point of suspension.

3. The method of claim 1, including continuously lowering said pile at a speed corresponding to the rate at which its height is increased by the depositing of additional layers thereon.

4. The method of claim 1, the applications of adhesive to the respective sides of the web being performed simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1, the applications of adhesive to the respective sides of the web being performed successively.

6. The method of claim 1, including cutting and opening out the pile to form a lattice structure.

JOHN ALPE GRANT-HAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,924,472 Thomson Aug. 29, 1933 2,299,184 Slepian Oct. 20, 1942 2,366,130 Slavek Dec. 26, 1944 2,368,445 Brandt Jan. 30, 1945 2,381,184 Ripley Aug. 7, 1945 2,440,209 Redman Apr. 20, 1948 2,581,421 Lombard et al Jan. 8, 1952 

1. METHOD OF PRODUCING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FROM SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF APPLYING PARALLEL LINES OF ADHESIVE TO THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF A WEB OF MATERIAL, THE LINES OF ADHESIVE ON ONE SIDE OF THE WEB BEING STAGGERED RELATIVELY TO THE LINES OF ADHESIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEB, FEEDING THE WEB CONTINUOUSLY IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS OF THE WEB BEING MOMENTARILY SUSPENDED IN GENERALLY VERTICAL POSITION, DEFLECTING SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS OF THE WEB ALTERNATELY TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER OF SAID GENERALLY VERTICAL POSITION, AND FOLDING SAID SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS DOWNWARDLY ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE LOWER EDGES TO FORM SUCCESSIVE HORIZONTAL LAYERS OF A PILE, THE FEEDING AND FOLDING STEPS BEING CARRIED OUT AT SUCH RELATIVE SPEEDS THAT THE SUSPENDED PORTION OF THE WEB IS ALWAYS OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PERMIT ITS BEING FOLDED WITHOUT APPRECIABLE DRAG THEREON. 